


When The Saints Go Marching In

by geeky_neanderthal



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angel Blood, Bisexual Character, Gay Male Character, Inspired by Shadowhunters (TV), LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Tumblr: imagine-malec-prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-06-30 08:10:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15747729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geeky_neanderthal/pseuds/geeky_neanderthal
Summary: the gang goes to a LGBTQ+ pride paradestrongly focuses on Malec (and there’s some Sizzy in there.) I have no idea what i’m doing lol but I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT <3





	1. The Mission

It seemed like a typical morning at the Institute, meaning it would soon be extremely busy. The morning seemed quiet and peaceful, but who knew how long that would last.

Their mission came in just before lunch. 

“Big gatherings of people often gather a large number of downworlders looking for trouble, so keep an eye out. For this mission, the only goal here is keeping the mundanes safe,” Jace briefed Izzy and Clary on all the details. 

“What’s the crowd for though?” Clary asked, Isabelle’s eyebrows raising out of the same curiosity as Clary. “Ohh please say it’s a partyyy,” Izzy giggled. 

“Its for uh-.. a uh, parade,” Jace was mumbling, not-so-subtly avoiding giving them too much detail. Bad choice; this only peaked Izzy and Clary’s interest more. 

“Ok...” Clary singsonged, “So what kind of parade?” 

Jace glanced over from Clary to Isabelle, then back at Clary. He sighed and gave up.

“A pride parade,” he gave in, as he always did with Clary, “Celebrating sexuality and LGBTQ+ rights.”

Izzy clapped her hands together and inhaled eagerly, “I can’t wait! Alec is going to love this!” She beamed. Clary was gushing with joy as well, but Jace was suddeny aware of how loud those words came out of Izzy’s mouth. He grabbed their shoulders to pull them to the side. His voice suddenly fell to a soft tone, “Look, I’d prefer not to tell Alec— or even Magnus for that matter— about this mission. Just us three on this, ok?” 

The girls looked baffled, “Why not?!” Clary protested, “This is a great mission for Alec, he’s one of our best fighters. Plus, we could always use Magnus’s help. Even without his powers he knows about downworlders. They’ve wanted to go to one in the past too, you know. Alec keeps asking me what they’re about. Believe me, Jace, they’ll want to come!” 

“Look,” Jace started, “Alec’s still recovering from his injury on the mission we had last week. And Magnus doesn’t have his magic back yet which means with all do respect, but he doesn’t serve much of a purpose to us. You can get Simon for downworlder intel, I just think it’s best if they sit out on this one. “

Clary scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest, shaking her head and walking away. Jace sighed and rubbed his temples. Izzy, however, still stood there, her look of disappointment in Jace’s decision gone, and replaced with a new look of sudden understanding.

Jace exhaled and turned towards Izzy, “I know he wants to go to this thing, but you aren’t the only one thinking about what’s best for Alec.” 

Izzy looked at him as she approached and began to speak, “I get that. But you’re not telling me or Clary the real reason why you don’t want Alec to go to this.”

He heaved an almost mournful sigh as he brought Izzy towards one of the Institute’s projectors. He pulled up a file on one of the projector screens. About a dozen different articles, pictures and videos popped up. Each had stories about parades and the police showing up, arresting them for protesting. Videos played of people beating up the multi-coloured marchers, bloody teeth and bruised everywhere, vulgar insults being yelled at them from every corner. Izzy looked away, the sight of all of that being too horrifying for her. Jace noticed, as he paused the video for her and turned back around toward her. 

“There are going to be thousands of those people at this mission. Mundanes with hate in their hearts for people like Magnus and Alec.” 

Isabelle sighed. “Look,” she began, “I know you don’t want to see Alec get hurt. I get it, I’m scared to. He’s my brother. But Alec’s a grown man, he can take care of himself.”

“It’s not just that though,” Jace explained. “When we’re out there, we’re officially on a mission. A mission to protect all mundanes, including those ones.” He points to the paused video of a group of mundanes with crowbars and baseball bats, attacking innocent marchers. “Alec is my parabatai. Which means that I care about him too much to make him go out there. He’d have to defend everyone at that march, and I mean everyone. I just don’t want his emotions to cloud his judgement. It’s personal for him, and I don’t want to make him choose between being professional and being proud of who he is. He shouldn’t have to.” 

Izzy put a comforting hand on Jace’s shoulder, searching for the right words to say. “I know, I know. It’s nice of you to be worried for Alec. You two have been inseparable since you met. But that also means you know him better than anyone. You know that Alec is better at being professional than anyone we know, he’ll be okay,” she reassured Jace. “How about you go brief Alec and Magnus about the mission, and I’ll get Simon and Luke to join us for downworlder intel. Deal?” He nodded, and she patted him on the shoulder before walking away. 

The mission was set.


	2. Night Owls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this as a text conversation so that’s why the format’s a little weird but basically Alec can’t seem to go to sleep. Enjoy :)

 

Izzy’s iPhone

 

**3:02am**

**Alec** : ( img_81900221 )

Do we look ok for tomorrow?

**Alec** : Magnus and I made a plan.

 

**Izzy** : ...

**Izzy** : what?!

 

**Alec** : Everyone’s is going as a colour of the rainbow; Magnus is purple, I’m blue. Jace will take green, Clary will take orange. Simon takes yellow. You’re ok with red, right?

 

**Izzy** : Yeah ok fine. I’m good with red.

**Izzy** : ... and Alec?

 

**Alec** : yeah?

 

**Izzy** : GO TO BED. IT’S THREE IN THE MORNING.

 

**Alec** : Right. Ok, sleeping. Yes, ok. Sorry.

**Alec** : I’m just really nervous

 

**Izzy** : It’s alright, it’ll turn out great.

**Izzy** : but turn your phone off and go to sleep. I can NOT handle you at 3am!

 

**4:26 am**

**Alec** : Izzy

**Alec** : Izzy???

 

**Izzy** : Alec... I thought I told you...

**Izzy** : GO. TO. SLEEP.

 

**Alec** : I can’t! I tried and I can’t

**Alec** : ...

 

**Izzy** : what’s wrong??

 

**Alec** : I’m really excited for this and everything, but what if Magnus ends up hating it? I mean, what if something goes wrong too?

**Alec** : What if someone gets hurt there and I failed at my job because I was distracted???

 

**Izzy** : hahaha very funny

**Izzy** : You’re way too much of a tightass to let that happen

 

**Alec** : Oh my god.

**Alec** : Oh god.

 

**Izzy** : What? Did something happen? Are you ok?

 

**Alec** : WHAT IF ANOTHER GUY HITS ON MAGNUS.

 

**Izzy** : Seriously Alec?!

 

**Alec** : I, I- I never had to worry about that until now! But at this parade, there’ll be tons of people there who are just like me and him. What if he realizes he could do so much better than me and leaves me?

 

**Izzy** : You are seriously sleep deprived and I think you’re starting to hallucinate now. Magnus can’t do any better than you: you’re irreplaceable!

 

**Alec** : YES BUT WHAT IF I’M NOT AHH

 

**Izzy** added **Magnus** to the chat

 

**Magnus** : You ARE irreplaceable, Alexander. And I can do no better than you. Tomorrow will go perfectly fine.

 

**Alec** : Magnus, why are you texting me?? You’re lying right next to me!

 

**Magnus** : Apparently me kicking you from underneath the sheets wasn’t enough of a hint for you to go to bed.

 

**Izzy** : Can you pleeease get him to sleep??!

 

**Magnus** : I’ll do my best.

 

**Izzy** : Thanks Magnus. Hope it works.

**Izzy** : and ALEC?

 

**Alec** : Sleeping, yes. Right. Goodnight Izz.

 

**Izzy** : Goodnight :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Shadowhunters Conquer... But So Does Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I switch perspectives sometimes in this chapter cuz they split up in groups so when you see this (//•~•//) it means it’s switched from Alec/Magnus/Clary to Jace/Izzy/Simon or vice versa 
> 
> I really have no idea what i’m doing lmao but enjoy!

They got to the rendez-vous point the next morning. Alec and Magnus arrived first, followed by Izzy, Simon, Clary, and Jace. They weren’t the only ones there by far. The streets were filled with all the colours of the rainbow, signs high up in the air. Alec took a deep breath and let it sink in. He wasn’t used to being able to be so open and proud of who he was. But here, well... maybe mundanes aren’t the dull helpless creatures shadowhunters made them out to be. Because for once in his life, he was holding Magnus’s hand out in the open, hundreds of people not only accepting it, but loving it and encouraging it. Fighting for it. Just him and the man he loved, and a million other people, coming together. 

“Alec?! Are you focusing?” Alec was so caught up in the music and the decorations that he almost didn’t hear Izzy’s voice. 

“What were you saying?” 

“I said that we need to keep an eye out for any demons around here but we need to keep an eye out. But I guess you aren’t going to listen to me either way,” Izzy snapped, “Sorry, I just get a little grouchy when I’m tired.” 

“Right, okay. I’ll keep my eyes wide open!” he nodded. All six of them headed out into the crowd, look around for any sign of trouble. They split up, so it was Simon/Izzy/Jace and Clary/Magnus/Alec. Alec had to admit, they looked great in the colours. Alec had blue, and was wearing a light blue tee over top of a royal blue blazer with a few sequins on the shoulders. It was quite the outfit. Clary, however, outdid Alec by a mile. She wore a dark orange skirt and a light orange tshirt with a fluorescent orange construction vest on top. She held up a handmade sign saying “Caution: Pride Awesomeness Overload Ahead”. When Alec had seen it, he had hugged her so tight she couldn’t breathe.

Alec leaned sideways and kissed Magnus with an overwhelming sense of something he had almost repressed inside of him.

Pride. How fitting :) 

His kiss, however, backfired slightly. They were marching in the streets and moving, and a moment after their lips touched, Alec was tripping over his own shoe. Magnus caught him and brought him back up, his forehead leaning against Alec’s. 

Alec just giggled with Magnus, the two of them having more fun than they had in a while. Ever since Magnus lost his magic, he seemed a little gloomy. Alec was over the moon to be able to go to this with Magnus, and even more thrilled that he was enjoying it. He wanted so desperately to make Magnus feel alive and important even without his magic. To cheer him up. He would spend the rest of their lives trying to do so no matter what, and when he thought that, he realized something just then. Something life changing and amazing... 

Magnus was indeed enjoying the frivolity of it all, despite the fact that nowadays, he always felt so powerless. He had made tweaks to his outfit like adding bright purple glitter to his hair and letting the blazer extend to his knees at the back. He thought made him look quite eccentric, but when he looked around, he noticed that there were people who looked even more eccentric as he did (although, not better looking). People called Drag Queens were marching like they were glamourous models. He had heard some stories but had never seen one in real life. They looked stunning.   
But out of the corner of his eye, Magnus saw a two men in hoodies. They turned, and a made a signal. He whispered into Alec’s ear and he pointed them out to him. 

“Alright. Let’s follow them. Clary, keep an eye out behing us if anything comes following them too.”  
Clary obeyed and the three of them started to tail the demons, as they turned into an alleyway.

//•~•//

Simon and Izzy were walking with Jace on the opposites side of the street. Simon was wearing a vibrant yellow t shirt that read “lgbtq pride, nerd pride” in all uppercase letters. He was in the middle of a friendly debate with a trans boy over which Star Wars movie was the best (Simon was conviced it was Revenge of the Sith) and Simon somehow kept getting hit in the head with balloons flying around in the parade. 

Izzy’s outfit was one that made Simon’s jaw drop to the floor. She was wearing knee-high black boots with red leggings and a lacy red shirt that only went down to just above her bellybutton. On top of that, she wore the red-jeweled necklace that Magnus had once given her that could detect demons. She had her arm looped around Simon’s and was walking joyfully, but also intensely looking around. Simon was fending off another balloon attack when Izzy spotted three more demons walking across the crows from one side of the street to the other, and dragged Simon away from his discussion to follow them. Jace followed, sighing dramatically. 

“You never do shut up do you?” 

“It really is a gift!” Simon defended himself. “Wait where are we going?”

“Towards the demons.” 

“Oh. Ok. Good to know. Yeah. Might get killed but whatever right?” 

Jace rolled his eyes as Izzy laughed and kept on the demons’ trails. 

//•~•//

Alec, Clary, and Magnus turned the corner into the alleyway only to find the demons attacking someone from the parade. Immediately, Alec drew out his bow and two arrows went flying right at them and hit them square in the chest. Magnus smirked. As if those lowlife demons were any match for his Alec.

Apparently they were.

The demons pulled the arrows out of their chests and ran at them. Magnus stepped out of the way and Alec ducked their blows. Clary came in and stabbed the two of them, each of her kindjals stabbing a demon. They both evaporated, fading away to dust. Alec ran over to where the victim from the parade was. 

Only he wasn’t from the parade. 

The mundane had a shirt on him that read “Make America Straight Again”. Alec was just standing over the mundane in horror. 

How could someone think that? How on earth could someone hate another person that much just because they were different? 

The mundane was sitting up and backed away from Alec. 

“Stay away from me you sick homo!” 

Alec lost it. He swung and punched the guy right in the face, the mortal’s jaw breaking and blood spouting out of his mouth. Alec was so hyped up om adrenaline (not to mention pure rage) that he swung his hand back and punched him again. This time, the guy let out a grunt and then passed out on the ground. Alec couldn’t stop somehow. He almost punched him again, but not before Magnus grabbed Alec’s fist from behind him. 

“Alexander!” 

Alec turned around to face him. Magnus looked him in the eye steadily and Alec knew what he meant when he said, “Don’t. He’s not worth losing your job for.” 

Alec let his hand fall down to his side and huffed, out of breath and energy. He didn’t care though, because his realization from before was all he could think of now. He was panting and sweating and had almost beat a man to death, yet all he could do was this. 

“Marry me.” 

Magnus stared at him in utter shock.

“What?” 

“Marry me. It doesn’t matter that you’re not the High Warlock of Brooklyn anymore. Not to me. And I don’t care whether people will disapprove of us or not because it’s not those people that I love... it’s you. Marry me.”   
...


	4. What Is Strength?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ughhh this whole fic was so long but whatever :)

//•~•//

Simon, Izzy, and Jace were following the other demon’s trails. The creatures soon realized and swerved into a separate alley. Only they weren’t creatures, they were other vampires. Izzy’s whip slithered off of her wrist and into her hand, stiffening into a spear. Her and Jace fought the vampires and were winning, but then Jace got tossed to the side. Izzy was handling the two of them, but couldn’t hold it much longer. Simon however, who was watching the entire thing, couldn’t just stand by and waych anymore. So, in his vampire nerd logic, he played his daylighter card. And his nerd side made him totally theatrical about it. He stepped into the light and his vampire fangs sparkled in the light, him hissing at the demons.

“Stand down!” His voice was firm and he was surprised of the strength in his tone. He had never prided himself on being a leader, but now, as the rogue vampires backed away from him, he felt his leadership actually pulling through. I guess he could pride himself on that now. After all, today was dedicated to pride and acceptance. 

The rogue vampires ran into hiding, and never returned. He immediately ran over to see if Izzy was okay, as Jace was standing up. 

“Well I guess you have some use after all,” Jace admitted (with what seemed like a little too much difficulty). Izzy just hugged Simon, and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you.”  
“Anytime.” He smiled. Something about Izzy just brought out the soft dork in him, and all he could do was smile and gaze at her. 

All of a sudden, they heard two demon roars a few alleys over. 

“Alec,” Izzy said. Jace punched the wall in frustration. 

“This is exactly why I didn’t want Alec on this mission! What if he had to make the hard call and couldn’t do it?!” 

“Alec will be fine!” Simon said. He cupped Izzy’s cheek in the palm of his hand in reassurnace, both her and Jace slightly panicking, worrying for their brother. 

The three of them ran pat the crowds and followed the sound to the other alley as fast as they could. When they got there, Clary was standing to the side covered in ash, her wide eyes gaping at Alec and Magnus, and what Alec had just said. Because as Izzy, Jace, and Simon caught up with Clary, they noticed a homophobic mundane unconscious, and the two words that came out of Alec’s mouth, clear as day. Marry me. 

All the four of them could do now was just wait for the answer.

//•~•//

Magnus couldn’t believe what his ears were hearing. He had his hands on Alec’s shoulders and just contemplated this whole thing. 

Alec said something about his powers. How it didn’t matter to him whether he had them or not. Funny. Ever since that day, he’d been feeling so miserable. His powers put him through so many things. It had made him feel like a monster at one point, it had made him immortal which pit a strain on his relationship with Alec. He should have been slightly relieved that it was gone. So why was he so devastated? Well, because it was a part of him. It was who he was... and now it was gone. Magnus just couldn’t figure out who he was without his powers. Which was why he was so gloomy, but this... this is what reassured him. It was the one simple sentence that told him who he was. It was the thing that just sent the whirlpool of sadness away, and replaced it with an overwhelming sense of love. Even with the sadness gone though, he still cried. Just because Alexander Lightwood had just asked him to marry him. So looking into his eyes, those gentle, yet strong, eyes, he muttered the one sentence that changed their lives forever. 

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” He shed a few tears after saying that, but it was out of a pure overload of disbelief and joy and love and everything in between. Alec leaned in and kissed him. It was a messy kiss, with Magnus’s tears rolling down and crashing with Alec’s lips, and the intensity of it all, but it felt right. The way their lips locked perfectly, the slight sway their feet did, the soft inhale Alec took in through his nose. It was just so perfectly imperfect... it almost felt human. Without his powers, Magnus was human. Just this time, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing.

Alec, of course, was overjoyed. Hearing those three words was everything. He just repeated them in his head as he kissed Magnus, still out of breath, but he didn’t let that stop him, because he was just too damn happy to care. Once they broke from their kiss, they saw Clary clapping gently, Izzy smiling and gushing, Jace snorting and giving them a nod, and Simon giving them a thumbs up. Alec immediately blushed as they walked back arms wrapped around eachother’s shoulders.

“I guess we’re engaged!” Magnus gushed. 

“I’m so happy for you guys!” Izzy squealed. She gave a warm hug to her brother and then to Magnus. The rest of the gang followed and hugged the happy couple merrily. 

They stayed at the pride parade for a few hours before returning to the Institute. It was quite the day though. Simon even volunteered to do a gig there (it was a huge success, obviously). Alec had also learned a lot about mundanes and their values, but he learned the most important thing in that alleyway.

He had almost beaten that man to death. Sure, most would say he had it coming, but it was his job to protect that guy. It sucked, but it was the truth, and if he had killed him, the Clave would have had him deruned. But he didn’t kill him.

Because Magnus was there.

Clary had said this to Alec a few times, but it never really stuck with Alec until that parade, until that mission. Magnus kept him from making a mistake that would cost him his life. Although being a mundane seemed so dull to most shadowhunters, the first rule of being mundane according to Clary, and the lesson that Alec learned was one he was finally able to embrace. 

It’s that love makes you stronger.


End file.
